Simple Pear Compote

This delicious and easy Pear Compote is flavored with cardamom, vanilla and fresh ginger and naturally sweetened with just a touch of honey. It makes a perfect topping for oatmeal, pancakes, ice cream, toast....the options are endless!

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Course: compote

Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Keyword: compote recipe, how to make compote

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 35

Servings: servings

Calories: 130kcal

Author: Kristi

Ingredients

▢ ½ vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 2 pounds pears I prefer the Bartlett variety, peeled, cored and cut into ¾ inch cubes
▢ ¼ cup honey
▢ ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
▢ 4-5 thin slices of fresh ginger no need to peel
▢ pinch of salt
▢ 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice more to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

With a small sharp knife, split vanilla bean down one side of the pod. Open up the pod and lay it flat on your cutting board. Using the back of your knife, remove the black seeds from the interior of the pod by scraping from one end of the open pod to the other. Place seeds and empty pod in a medium saucepan along with the pears, honey, cardamom, ginger and salt.
Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently until the pears begin to break down and give up their liquid. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the pears are tender and the mixture is syrupy, about 20-30 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add lemon juice. Remove and discard the vanilla bean pod and ginger slices. Taste the mixture and season with additional lemon juice, salt or honey to taste. Once the compote has cooled, transfer to a clean jar and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. Freeze for longer storage.

Notes

Expert Tips:

Please use RIPE pears for best results. If the pears are not at all ripe and rock hard, they will have a hard time softening. If your pears are indeed too hard to work with, simply let them ripen at room temperature for a day or two. You can even place them in a paper bag to help speed up the ripening process. They will be ready to go before you know it.
If the pears aren't giving up much liquid once the mixture begins to bubble and the compote seems dry, simply add a few tablespoons of water or apple juice/cider during the cooking process to loosen things up.
If you want a smoother compote, mash the pears with a fork or potato masher until they are to your desired consistency. I typically do not mash mine as I like it not overly smooth, with tender chunks of pear remaining.

Variation Ideas:

Spiced Pear Compote: Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and a ¼ teaspoon of allspice to the compote in addition to the cardamom, vanilla and ginger.
Almond Pear Compote: Replace the vanilla bean or extract with ½ teaspoon of almond extract.
Cranberry Pear Compote: Add ¼ to ½ cup of fresh cranberries to the compote along with the other ingredients.
Roasted Pear Compote: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place all ingredients (except lemon juice) in a 8 or 9 inch square baking dish and stir to combine. Bake until pears are tender, about 45-50 minutes, stirring halfway through.

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